WHERE DO BABIES COME FROM ?

I’m the oldest in my family; when my first wee brother was born I was three and couldn’t contain my excitement; my aunty and Gran looked after me when Mum was away to the hospital to get my wee brother and when she brought him home I was fascinated. No way could I figure out how come he was a boy bar the obvious fact he lacked a ribbon in his hair. 

A few years later I was dodging about with pals on our caravan site – all boys – playing football and learning how to pass, dribble and score for I was loathe to be relegated to the permanent goalie. Scoring goals, as I did eventually manage, wearing wellies, with cropped hair and a self made fringe did not alter my sex one iota. I was still the girl in the team even though I was the best all round player. Read em and weep Archie Gemmill ! I coulda been a contender!

When my Mum had  me and both of my wee brothers she knew without the benefit of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Google or the Oxford Dictionary, that she’s female and always will be; just like my Dad knew he was a man. 

I have given birth to two children and had a miscarriage; these events occurred simply because I am female. I couldn’t be pregnant were I male. Any deluded woman who wants to get a front page sweep following a double mastectomy she thinks enables her to call herself a man is barking up a sad tree. 

So watching women tonight on the telly wondering their chromosomes when they’ve given birth to children, and curious about their sex because they are so old, like me, that they no longer ovulate, despite also having given birth, is an insult to the intelligence  and experience of those of us who supported bankrolled and elected that party for decades. That conduct has nothing to do with equalities, the rights of women or of transpeople – it is embarrassing in the extreme and betrays a mindset Scotland requires to ditch sooner rather than later. 

As has been explained often, women need single sex protections for dignity, safety, peace of mind and also for religious reasons. For four decades I have listened to, supported, aided and feared for women who have been victims of all forms of violence and hurt perpetrated by men. That is not to suggest that women can’t be perpetrators or men can’t be victims but the statistics prove that men are mainly the actors and women mainly the victims. There’s no denying this.

When you introduce self identification devoid of any medical diagnosis, coupled with the ability of all to change and hide a previous identity, this leads to risks of abuse and opens the door to predation. Our vulnerable women and children deserve protection for we know that trans identifying males have the same patterns of violent conduct as non trans identifying males; this means that women and children remain largely at risk. 

Gender ideology exposes women and children to unnecessary risks; sex based rights and protections minimise those risks. That ethos of safeguarding is welcomed by all of us who value such safeguards; those who deride science, biology and experience do all of us a major disservice. 

Sex is immutable and sex based protections matter. As women matter.